Handle device for vacuum-cleaners.



A. J. STECKER.

HANDLE DEVICE FOR VACUUM CLEANERS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.26.1916- Patented June 26, 1917.

(Horne/13 sansarn'r FFltE.

ALFRED J'. S'IECKER, 015 DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGN'OR TO FRED WELL, OF

' DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

HANDLE DEVICE FOR VACUUM-CLEANERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 26, 1916. Serial No. 117,001.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED J. STEGKER,

and relates particularly to portable vacuumcleaners such as are commonlyprovided wlth swinging handles.

It is desirable under certain conditions to retain the swinging handleof a portable vacuum cleaner either in substantially vertical or asubstantially horizontal position, the former position being desirablewhen the, appliance is not in use and the latter position beingconvenient when it is desired to use the appliance in a raised positionas for cleaning mattresses or stair treads.

Theobject of the invention is broadly to provide means for yieldablyretaining a plvoted'handle of a vacuumcleaner in a certain position ofadjustment relative to the retaining the pivoted handle of unit.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a common means foryieldably a vacuum cleaner either in a substantially vertical orsubstantially horizontal position.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner employing mylim'provement, the

handle being shown retained upright;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation and partial section, the handle beingshown in substantially horizontal position;

Fig. 3 is a detail front elevation view showing the device employed toretain the handle upright.

In these views the reference characters'l, 2 and 3 respectivelydesignate the motor casing, fan casing and suction inlet of a vacuumcleaner. The handle 4 thereof is connected to the body of the vacuumcleaner by a bifurcated bracket, the furcations 5 of which straddle themotor casing and are pivoted thereto at diametricallyopposite points. Toconnect said bracket to Y the handle proper, there is employed a member,the upper portion 6 of which forms a socket receiving the handle, andthe lower portion of which is of rectangular form and is engaged betweenthe upper ends of the furcations 5 by any suitable securing means. Uponthe parts 6 and 7 there are respectively formed bosses 8 to which issecured a channel shaped guide 9 by means of screws 10, said guideextending parallel with the handle. At its end closest adjacent themotor casing the bottom of the guide 9 is formed with an aperture 11into which projects a curved portion 12 of a spring 13, said springbeing disposed between the guide 9 and the member 7 and being retainedin place by engagement of one of its extremities between said guide andone of the bosses 8. The sides of the guide are formed with inwardlyprojecting flanges 14, beneath which flanges are engaged the extremitiesof a pin 15 adapted to be displaced longitudinally of the guide. Saidpin is carried by one extremity of a curved swinging link 16, saidextremity being formed with a sleeve 17 toengage the pin. Preferably thelink will be reduced slightly in width adjacent the sleeve 17 so as topermit of its passage between the flanges 14. At its other extremity thelink 16 is pivotally mounted upon the rear end of the motor as indicatedat 18.

When the handle is in either a substantially vertical or a substantiallyhorizontal position, the pin 15 is at the end of the guide 9 nearestadjacent the motor casing, as is shown in the drawing, and the spring 13presses its curved portion 12 through the aperture 11 and against thesleeve 17 thus acting to yieldably retain said pin in the describedposition. When the handle is swung either upwardly or downwardly, thelink 16 is subjected'to a stress whereby the portion 12 of the spring 13is forced out of the guide allowing the end of the link carrying the pin15 to slide toward the rear connecting said appliance and handle havinga pivotal engagement with one of said members and sliding engagementwith the other, and a common means for yieldably retaining said linkagainst motion in aplurality of positions of the handle relative to theappliance.

2. The combination with a portable ap pliance, of a handle pivotedthereupon, a link connecting said appliance and handle having pivotalengagement with one of said members and sliding engagement with theother, a channeled guide carried by the lat ter named member engagedwith said link, the bottom of said guide being apertured, and a springmounted exteriorly to said guide having a portion projecting through theaperture thereof and engageable withthe link to yieldably hold the sameagainst motion in a certain relative position of the handle andappliance.

f 3. The combination with a portable 'ap-- pliance, of a handle pivotedthereupon, a channeled guide carried by the handle having its sidesformed with inwardly projecting flanges, a pin having its extremitiesengaged beneath said flanges, said pin being slidabie longitudinally ofsaid guide, a link carrying sa1d pin at one extremlty and pivoted uponsaid appliance at its other extremity and means associated with oneextremity of said guide for yieldably retaining the pin carrying end ofthe link at said extremity when the handle occupies a certain pivotalposition relative to. the appliance.

v 4:. The combination with a portable appliance, of a handle pivotedthereupon, a ink connecting said appliance and ,handle having one of itsextremities pivotally engaged with one of said members and slidablyengaged with .the other member, a guide carried by the latter memberengaging the slidlng end of said link and a latch member' carried bysaid guide engageable with the sliding end of the link in a plurality ofpositions of the handle and establishing the handle in a rigid relationwith the appliance in said positions, said latch member being yieldableunder the applicamotion when the handle is angularly displaced, therelative positions of the guide member and link extremity engagedthereby being substantially the same when the han-.

dle occupies either a definite raised or definite lowered position, andmeans carried by the guide engaging the sliding end of the link in saidpositions of the handle and yieldably resisting displacement of theslidinv link extremity in said guide.

6. The combination with a portable ap-- pliance, of a handle pivotedthereupon, a link having one of its extremities pivotally engaged withone of said members and its other extremity slidably engaged with theother member, the relative positions of the sliding link extremity andthe member engaged thereby being substantially the same when the handleoccupies either a definite raised or definite lowered position, andmeans engaging the sliding end of the link in said definite positions ofthe handle and resisting displacement thereof.

7. The combination with a portable appliance, of a handle pivotedthereupon, a channeled guide carried by one of said members having itssides formed with inwardly projecting flanges, a pin having itsextremities engaged beneath said flanges, said pin being slidablelongitudinally of said guide, a link carrying said pin at one extremityand pivoted upon the other off said members at its other extremity, andmeans associated with one extremity of said guide for yieldablyretaining the pin carrying end of the link at said extremity when thehandle occupies a certain pivotal position relative to the appliance.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ALFRED J. STECKER.

